Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik emphasised that the safety of tourists needs to be prioritised during the monsoon. To make sure that there are no unfortunate incidents that take place during the monsoon in Maharashtra, she said that “along with putting up sign boards at dangerous tourist spots, they should be temporarily closed
Pune bridge collapse. Pic/Filepic
Amid the heavy Mumbai rains, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik emphasised that the safety of tourists needs to be prioritised during the monsoon. She suggested that dangerous or risky spots in the region should be closed down temporarily for people’s safety.
Saunik made the remarks on Monday, a day after four tourists were killed in a bridge collapse in Pune.
To make sure that there are no unfortunate incidents that take place during the monsoon in Maharashtra, she said that “along with putting up sign boards at dangerous tourist spots, they should be temporarily closed until they are fully repaired with adequate security arrangements put in place.”
Naik said that “Appropriate action should be taken against tourists who do not take precautions and ignore instructions of the administration or police.”
According to PTI, the chief secretary was reviewing the situation at a meeting following the collapse of an iron bridge over the Indrayani River at Kundamala on June 15 afternoon. Kundamala is a popular tourist spot in Pune district's Maval, and various tourists visit the place to enjoy the surreal natural landscapes.
Moreover, the Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Shekhar Singh and senior police officers also joined the meeting which was held at the state secretariat in Mumbai via video conferencing.
According to an official release, Saunik addressed the meeting, stating, "During the monsoon, tourists come to some places in large numbers. The administration needs to be vigilant at such places. To prevent loss of life, security should be enhanced at places where there is danger, and if necessary, tourist entry should be temporarily banned."
She added, "Even after this, if tourists do not follow instructions of the administration, appropriate action should be taken against them."
On the other hand, earlier on June 16, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also noted the collapsed 32-year-old iron pedestrian bridge on the Indrayani River at Kundamala.
However, the collapsed bridge has been reportedly declared dangerous by the district collector, and warning boards were put up at the site.
Furthermore, Chief Secretary Saunik has also instructed officials concerned to allocate responsibilities. The officials in the locality have been assigned area-wise duties to prioritise protection of people. The forces which have been assigned to keep a check on the safety measure are the Home Guard and National Cadet Corps (NCC).
As reported by PTI, according to the release, the chief secretary also said that the Public Works Department should survey bridges built on roads and undertake repair work on old bridges. She also insisted that the Public Works Department should construct new bridges wherever required.
She suggested that the administration should take special precautions, as the number of tourists is expected to increase in the Pune division during the monsoon for various trekking and camping adventures.
The senior IAS officer also said in the meeting that “multiple accidents have taken place in the state in the last few days, including one on Mumbai's outskirts where four commuters were killed after falling off a crowded local train, and the deaths of people in them were very unfortunate.”
Saunik, in view of people’s safety, has asked different agencies to work together to prevent possible accidents by giving top priority to the safety of people. She also suggested issuing guidelines for passengers to avoid accidents during rail travel.
The official also suggested steps to prevent dissemination of wrong information during an accident. Measures should be taken to provide immediate and correct information to people.
Concerning the matter related to travel safety of the passengers, the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, Sujata Naik emphasised railway officials to take immediate steps regarding the safety with the help of CCTV footage and artificial intelligence in collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
(With PTI Inputs)
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